Toe-softening machine



lVl. BROCK.

TOE SOFTENING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FKKILED FEB.28|1917 1,373,481. :melma Apr. 5, 1921.

NI. BROCK.

TOE SOFTENING. MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. I9I7.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

.2 SHEEI'S-SHEEI 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHIAS BROCK, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, 0F PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY. i

TOE-SOFTENING MACHINE.

Patented Apr. l5, 1921.

Application filed February 28, 1917. Serial No. 151,587.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it knoivvn that I, MATTHIAS BROCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Toe-Softening Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures. f

This invention relates to apparatus for treating shoes and especially to devices used in treating shoes or portions of them by heat or moisture, or both, in preparation for the lasting operation.

It has been found that the lasting operations at those portions of the shoe where the upper materials have to be crimped and stretched to conform to the last (for instance at the toe) can be greatly facilitated by the administration of certain softening treatments to those portions of the shoe. These treatments are almost as varied as the shoe materials themselves. Some materials respond to dampening with water; Some to dampening with steam, these again differentiating as to the temperature and dryness of the steam or vapor used; other materials require only the use of much drier heat, toV which the self hardening orfBeckwith toe box will respond.

n Various devices have been proposed for administering these treatments to the shoes, but they are all subject to the objection of lack of fiexibility 1n meeting the widely varying conditions under which these devices have to work. The shoes that come to the operatives in the course of a da s run differ, one from another, in color an mate- It has become settled thatiany practical universal softening device must contain means for administering vapor treatment to the shoe. A vapor obtained from steam at low pressure, or from boiling water, is at a temperature of approximately 212 F. It becomes more or less cooled and condensed or wet in transmission to the shoe, and, although some materials demand it in this condition, others Arequire heat with comparatively little or no moisture. Extreme heat can of course be obtained from steam at sufficiently high pressure, but such steam is not ordinarily available for this purpose in shoe factories, and it is difficult, if not impossible, to use it without burning the work.

In accordance with this invention a dryheating device is vprovided for superheating a vapor of initially low temperature, such heating device being controlled to generate heat at a wide range of temperature. Accordingly, an importantJ feature of the invention comprises a novel organization of means for supplying moderately warm vapor to the shoe, and means for substantially heating the vapor.

Another feature of the invention involves a novel and improved relation of the vaporsupplying means and the dry heat generator, and the relation of both to the work. According to this feature, as shown, the vapor-supplying means is arranged to supply the vapor below the work so' that the vapor will proceed to the work by levitation and envelop the work before it can esc`ape. The dry heat generator is arranged above the vapo1su1 )plying means and in proximity to the work so as to heat the latter by direct radiation. Furthermore, the dry heat generator is so disposed that the vapor will p'ass between it and the work before reaching any outlet through which it may escape. This relative arrangement has several advantages among which are the following The vapor, Without being forced, will` in all cases, temper theI dry heat so as to guard against burning or drying the work; the dry heat will amplify the penetrability of the vapor; and the wasting ofvapor is minimized. The latter advantage,l aside from the mere economy of vapor, is important for the additional reason that it avoids producing a humid atmospheric condition in the work-room, which is both unhealthful and rust-producing.

A device of this character should be capable of discontinuing or beginning the vapor supply abruptly. No time should be lost in generating vapor after the machlne has been used as a dry heater, or in stopplng the delivery of vapor when a rack of shoes requiring only dry heat comes to the Inachine. My invention also provides this feature of flexibility. I

Another difficulty frequently met in machines of this type is that colored shoes soil those portions of the apparatus on which they rest, especially those portions which contact the treated parts of the shoes, from which the color rubs off most readily. To overcome this difficulty the present invention provides a work-support having a plurality of separate worlcengaging surfaces that maybe used respectively for one color only, by shifting the work-support according to the color of the shoe about to be treated. y

These and other features of the invention, comprising various combinations and arrangements of parts, will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration by the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the machine;

Fig. 2 shows in detail the arrangement of the upper electric units;

Fig. 3 is a broken away front elevation;

Fig. 4 shows a lower unit;

Fig. 5 is a. detail of the toe rest, and

Fig. 6 is a plan of the adjustable support.

The casing 10, which may be conveniently made in two parts as shown, comprises a chamber 12, at the top of which a reduced channel 14 opens into an upper chamber 16 which has an opening 18 for the reception of the shoe toes. The passage 14 may contain a diaphragm 19 of netting or waste for checking and cooling the vapor from. the chamber 12, and may be closed by a baffle or gate 20, pivoted at 22, which has an open and a closed position as shown. The gate and the channel 14 extend the whole length of the apparatus.

A wooden bar 24, having headed pins 26 which rest in notches 28 in the lower front wall of the chamber 16, projects above the lower edge of the opening 18 and supports the toes of the shoes being treated. =As the bar is often in contact with danrp or wet portions of the shoes, and is likely to become stained by the coloring materials in them, the pins 26 are equally and symmetrically in which,-

spaced so that the bar 24 may be turned end for end and placed upside down, thus affording two supporting surfaces, 30, 32, for shoes of contrasting colors. One surface may be used for black shoes and the other for tans, or a plurality of interchangeable bars may be provided, affording a wide range of accommodation.

r1`he upper chamber contains a casing 34 having a large radiating surface in which are mounted two electric units 36, 38 end to end. These may be supplied with suitable rheostats as at 39, whereby their temperature may be controlled. The use of two small units rather than one large one gives somewhat more flexibility in temperature regulation, since low temperatures can be obtained with one unit, and a large rheostat with a large number of steps is not required as in the case of the double size unit.

r1`he lower chamber 12 contains a casing 40 in which two electric units 42 are arranged, end to end. These may also be controlled by suitable rheostats not shown. A steam pipe 44 having perforations 46 is mounted in the lower part of the lower chamber, and its steam supply is controlled by a suitable valve 47.

On the rear side o-f the machine is a barometric water feeding device.- 48 having a removable can 50, supported from the casl 52. The feed water passes through a pipe 54 into the lower chamber, where the feeder 48 maintains it at constant level. A valve 55 and drain cock 57 are provided for shutting olf the water and draining the chamber. v

, In the upper part of the upper chamber 16 is an opening 56 adapted to be closed by an adjustable gate 58, in o-rder to control the passage of air or vapor through the apparatus. A drain pipe 60- extends from the rear bottom part of the chamber 16 down through the chamber 12 and opens into the drain coc-k 57. This carries away any moisture which condenses in the chamber 16.

The shoe support 62 is shown as a rod bent into a series of parallel loops lying in the same plane., with its ends pivot-ally supported in two ears 64. The middle portion of the support is also pivoted to two arms 66, mounted on the casing. Struts 72 are pivotally attached to the outer ends of the loops, andhave their downturned ends 74 inserted in one of two series of holes 76 and 78 in the flange 80. holes permit two corresponding adjustments ing by a bail Vof the support 62 adapted for shoes in in- These two series ofthe shoe is inverted, if thebox is very high, and I have accordingly made my support so that it can be tilted down to hold a high box in proper relation tothe electric units.

A rod 82 carrying a slider 84 is arranged over the opening 18, the slider enabling the operator to mark the position of the next shoe to be taken from the apparatus. upper edge of the opening l18 is formed with a slope, as at 86, to facilitate the transfer of condensed moisture to the sides of the chamber, so that it may drain away instead of dropping onl the shoes. The whole machine may be conveniently supported on a base 88.

My novel apparatus may be used in many Ways. The chamber 10 may be supplied with vapor from the steam pipe 44, the water supply from the feeder 48 being cut off, and the chamber 10 drained through the valve 57. Steam of substantially the quality present in the supply line will be supplied to the apparatus from the steam pipe 44, and the gate 20 being open, will be applied to the shoes in position on the support 62. This steam may be dried and even superheated, if desired, by means of the units 42, from which, by means of rheostats, a wide range of temperature may be secured. The units 38 may also be used to superheat the vapor after it passes through the channel 14.

Wet Steam may be obtained by allowing the feeder 48 to supply ,water to the chamber 12, this water being heated by steam from the pipe 44 or by the units 42. Rapid ebullition in the generation of Steam will produce a wet vapor and the rapidity of generation may be easily controlled by the valve or the rheostats.

The supply of vapor to the chamber 16 may be instantly begun or discontinued or,

as set forth in the appended claims, lim' ited by manipulating the gate 20. No time need therefore be lost between the treatment of two racks of dissimilar shoes.

In case dry heat only is required for the shoes, as might be the case where a delicate leather or a fabric is used, preferably in combination with a Beckwith box, the gate 20 may be closed and the units 38 energized to supply the heat at the temperature required. Vapor may be slowly generated in the chamber 10 and admitted to temper such dry heat if desired. The passage of the heat and moisture carrying media over and around the shoes may be controlled to a certain extent by the closure 58.

I have thus provided a softening .machine having a wide range in temperature and modes of treatment of the shoes. My machine performs the different sorts of work ,done by many machines of various types now found on the market, in addition to being capable of results not heretofore ob tainable.

The.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a treating device having a vaporizing chamber, vaporizing means arranged therein below the treating locality, and means yarranged to heat the vapor rising from said vaporizing means to the treating locality.

2. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a treating device having a chamber, means for generating vapor therein below the treating locality, and means for radiating dry heat therein below the treating locality.

3. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a treating devicehaving a chamber, electrical means for generating vapor therein below the treating locality, and means for heating the vapor rising from said electrical means to the treating locality.

4. A shoe-.treating apparatus comprising artreating device having a chamber for containing a body of liquid, means arranged in said chamber to vaporize said liquid, and means arranged to heat the vapor rising from the first said means.

5. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a treating device having a chamber, so that the heat generated thereby will radiate to the work, and means arranged to generate vapor in said device under said location so that the vapor thereby generated will have an unobstructed path in which to rise therefrom to the work, and heat-radiating means arranged in said chamber below the level of the work.

6. In a machine of the class described, a treating device having a chamber, an electric unit arranged therein adjacent to the position occupied by the shoe, said device having a channel for conducting vapor to the vicinity ofthe shoe being treated, and means in said device or closing said channel whereby the vapor treatment of shoes may be regulated.

7. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a treating device, and shoe-supporting vmeans arranged to support a shoe in up- 4 justable member adapted to sustain a shoe -in upright position or to hold the shoe in inverted position in a treating locality, and means constructed and arranged to sustain said member at various angles according to whether the shoe is upright or inverted.

9. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a treating device, and a work-support having a plurality of separate work-supportin portions, said work-support being shiftable to different positions to locate said portions at will in a common work-'engaging position, whereby discoloring of the work by said work-support may be avoided in consequence of shifting the work-support accordingto the color of successive pieces of work. Q

10. In a machine of the class described, a casing having means for treatment of a shoe and means for supporting a shoe in operative relation to said treating means, said supporting means being shiftable to diierent positions and having a plurality of surfaces arranged alternatively to contact with the shoe according to the position occupied by said supporting means, whereby shoes of one color may be supported otherwise than by a surface that has become colored by contact with shoes of another color.

11. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a treating device, and a detachable worksupporting device arranged to engage a portion of the work presented for treatment, said devices having cooperative interlocking portions arranged to maintain them normally in cooperative relation but being freely separable to permit detaching the Work-supporting device.

12. A treating apparatus comprising means forming a treating chamber, means for supplying vapor to said chamber, heatradiating means arranged in the chamber, and adjustable means arranged to bailied the vapor and the radiated heat, alternatively.

13. .A treating apparatus comprising means forming a treating chamber, means for supplying vapor to'said'cha'mber, heatradiating means arrangedin the chamber, and adjustable means arranged to control the vapor and the path of the radiated heat. 14. A treating apparatus comprising means formingA a treating chamber, means for supplying vapor to said chamber, heatradiating'means arranged in the chamber, and means arranged to control the escape of vapor and to divert the radiated heat.

15. A treating apparatus comprising means forming a treating chamber, means for supplying vapor to said chamber, heatradiating means arranged'in the chamber, and an adjustable member arranged to guide the vapor and the radiated heat in separate courses.

16.I A treating apparatus comprising means forming a treating chamber, means for supplying vapor to said chamber, heatradiating means arranged in he chamber, and means arranged t0 be movable so as to throttle the vapor and baille the radiated heat, alternatively.

17. A treating apparatus comprising means' forming a Jtreating chamber, heatradiating means arranged in the chamber,

means for supplying vapor to said chamber,

and means arranged between the heat-radiating means* and the locality of the work for regulating thelvapor and the radiated heat.

18. A treating' apparatus comprising means forming a treating chamber, heatradiating means arranged in the chamber, means for supplying vapor to said chamber, and adjustable means arranged to be heated by the radiated heat and to control vthe vapor between the vapor-supplying means and the locality of the Work.

19. A treating apparatus comprising means forming a treating chamber, heatradiating means arranged in the chamber, means for supplying vapor to said chamber, and an adjustable baiiie arranged to vary inversely the channels of escape of the vapor and the radiated heat.

. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication.

MATTHIAS BROCK. 

